Journal of women's health
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Journal of women's health · Aug 2023
Inclusion of Sex as a Biological Variable in Biomedical Sciences at the Undergraduate Level and Beyond.
To improve research on women's health, and to achieve better understanding of the factors controlling disease across diverse populations of humans, it is imperative to study sex differences in physiology and disease. After the introduction of the "SABV policy" at NIH, which requires investigators using animals or humans to consider sex as a biological factor, it became clear that many investigators were unaware of concepts of sexual differentiation or methods that can be used to study sex as a biological variable (SABV). To remedy this situation, efforts have increased to teach concepts and methods of SABV at all educational levels. The UCLA Scientific Center of Research Excellence (SCORE) grant "Sex differences in the metabolic syndrome" promotes education about SABV through three primary mechanisms: (1) through didactic course content for students at the undergraduate level, (2) by providing pilot funding for early career investigators to study the role of sex in metabolism-related areas, and (3) through curation of a video library, which may be useful for investigators performing research at the graduate, postgraduate, and faculty levels.
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Journal of women's health · Jul 2023
Clinical TrialSatisfaction with a Segesterone Acetate and Ethinyl Estradiol Contraceptive Vaginal System Among Recent Oral Contraceptive or Hormonal Contraceptive Vaginal Ring Users.
Background: We evaluated satisfaction with use of a segesterone acetate and ethinyl estradiol (0.15/0.013 mg) contraceptive vaginal system (CVS) among women who had recently used a monthly contraceptive vaginal ring or contraceptive pills. The CVS is a ring-shaped device used in a 21-days-in/7-days-out regimen for 13 cycles. Materials and Methods: We analyzed post hoc satisfaction responses at cycle 3 and end of study (EOS) from a subset of participants with documented recent use of the monthly ring or daily pills before enrollment in a multinational, phase 3, 13-cycle trial evaluating the CVS. ⋯ At EOS, ≥88% of both groups reported no concern about using the same CVS for a year, and most (>80%) had recommended it to friends or family members. Conclusion: The CVS clinical trial participants who were recent ring/pill users reported high satisfaction and liked it as much/better than any previously used contraceptive; the CVS may be a good contraceptive option for switchers. Clinical trial registration NCT00263341.
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Journal of women's health · Jul 2023
Policy and Systems Change in Intimate Partner Violence and Human Trafficking: Evaluation of a Federal Cross-Sector Initiative.
Objectives: This study evaluates Project Catalyst's impact on policies related to Intimate Partner Violence (IV) and Human Trafficking (HT), which contribute to negative health outcomes for survivors. Methods: We utilized continuous evaluation using data from policy assessment tools and interviews with participating state leadership team (SLT) members. ⋯ SLTs reported that Project Catalyst increased awareness of IPV/HT and health impacts and established ongoing partnerships between the three organizations. Conclusions: Funding, training, and technical assistance to encourage cross-sector collaboration at the state level can promote policy changes that support comprehensive health center responses to IPV/HT.